ADVENTURING by Jeremy Schmidt

TO SEA IN A TALL SHIP

"Come, sir, cannot I prevail upon you to go to sea? A man-of-war is the very thing for a philosopher."

With those words, Jack Aubrey of the British Royal Navy invites Stephen Maturin to join his ship's crew as a surgeon. Thus begins the friendship at the heart of Patrick O'Brian's novels about adventure and naval combat during the Napoleonic wars. "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," starring Russell Crowe as Aubrey, tells a story from those books.

Maturin accepts, partly to help defeat Napoleon, but mostly to see the natural wonders that Aubrey extols: the open sea, the night sky filled with meteors and distant places with exotic creatures. "The birds, the fishes," exclaims Aubrey. "I could promise you some monstrous fishes."

Two centuries later, ships are made of steel, and passengers ride high above the waves in smooth luxury. But meteors still flash over the dark ocean, and here and there, like little time machines, wooden ships still ply the waters.

And captains are still looking for crewmembers.

Opportunities to experience the age of sail are surprisingly numerous, even for untrained sailors. In addition to a professional crew, many tall ships carry volunteers, trainees or guest sailors. The ships meet modern safety standards and are equipped with engines, but they rely most of the time on wind and muscle power.

Jan Miles captains the Pride of Baltimore II, a vessel modeled after the fast Baltimore-built schooners (Baltimore clippers) used as privateers during the War of 1812. Owned by Maryland, it cruises the Eastern Seaboard and the Great Lakes as a goodwill ambassador for the state. Guests join the ship for several days and longer. (Information: www.pride2.org.)

Miles says that most, but not all, of his guest crew have some experience sailing private yachts. They come for "the chance to sail in traditional vessel with all the romantic thoughts of sails billowing and water rushing. They are also willing to work for that experience" alongside the ship's permanent crew.

The work is important. Joining a tall ship is not a pleasure cruise. It's serious and demanding sailing Guests are expected to pitch in and take orders according to their abilities.

"The experience is as authentic to the 18th-19th-century sailing heritage as anyone living in the 21st century ever will know, " says Ashley Halsey of Annapolis, Md. He joined the Pride two offshore trips last summer.

"We sailed, we steered, we hauled lines like demons every time we tacked. We did virtually that the full-season crew did, except for dancing out on the yard to furl the topsail. It was exhausting and exhilarating."

And worth it. Asked to recall the best moments, he describes seeing sunset and moonrise over the open sea, waking to the creaking of the ship as it drives through the swells, and of riding a surging tidal current through Hells Gate into Long Island Sound as dawn lit up the of Manhattan.

He and Miles both cite the pleasure of thundering into a harbor under billowing canvas, taking in sail all at once just from the dock, and performing the task in seamanlike fashion under the admiring eyes of gawkers. Such teamwork, says Miles, engenders the best of feelings, "of having been a member of a crew that moved a traditional sailing vessel onwards to her obligations."

Other tall ships that take guest crew or trainees include:

-- The Nina, a replica of one of Columbus' three ships. The original was a caravel, a common trading vessel of the time. The replica will tour the Gulf Coast and Florida this spring, the Atlantic Coast and Lake Superior this summer and the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers in fall. It will be based in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, next winter. Information: www.thenina.com.

-- The Endeavour, a coal carrier, was a sturdy vessel type called a bark in which British Navy Lieutenant James Cook set off, in 1768, on round-the-world voyage of scientific exploration. The replica will spend 2004 in European waters. Information: www.barkendeavour.com.au/.

-- The U.S. brig Niagara fought British forces during the war of 1812 under command of Commodore ("Don't give up the ship!") Oliver H. Perry. Based in Erie, Pa., the modern version sails the Great Lakes and Eastern Seaboard. Information: www.brigniagara.org.

-- The Bounty is a former movie ship, built for "Mutiny on the Bounty," which starred Marlon Brando as Fletcher Christian in famous South Seas epic. It will be docked in St. Petersburg, Fla., through March. Information: www.tallshipbounty.org.

As for the ship used in "Master and Commander," it is the Rose, a replica of a British frigate that took part in the invasion of New York during the AmericanRevolution. Now the property of 20th Century Fox, it no longer carries guest crew. But you can learn more about it at www.tallshiprose.org.

Some tall ships are not historic reproductions but offer authentic experiences. They include the Lord Nelson and Tenacious, built for the purpose by England's Jubilee Sailing Trust, which specifically welcomes disabled people among guest crew. Information: www.jst.org.uk.

A good starting point for tall ships in general is the American Sail Training Association, 240 Thames St., P.O. Box 1459, Newport, RI 02840; (401) 846-1775. Its Web site (http://tallships.sailtraining.org) provides links to individual ships.

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